Getting an abortion is difficult enough without knowing what to expect during your recovery period. Your body has just been through a major ordeal and needs time to get back to normal. Here are tips from Metropolitan Family Planning Clinic on how to best prepare for the recovery period.
Time Until Full Recovery
Each woman takes her own unique time to recover fully physically from an abortion. Some women can go back to work or school in just a few days. Others may take weeks. The average time is two weeks. It’s good to have a gyecologiical check-up two weeks after a surgical abortion to make sure that your body is recovering and that no complications have set in.
What About the Pain?
It is normal to feel pain after an abortion. Pain usually feels like very strong menstrual cramps. Fortunately, treatment for this pain is the same as for menstrual cramps. Take over the counter painkillers and hot packs. Avoid aspirin as that can thin the blood and cause problems clotting. Take ibuprofen, naproxen or acetaminophen instead. If the pain is far worse than any cramps you’ve ever had, contact a doctor at once. The pain should be gone after two weeks. If not, see a doctor to see what is wrong.
What About Bleeding?
Bleeding as if you have a heavy period is normal after an abortion. Use menstrual pads but not tampons to catch the blood. The bleeding should taper off so that it should be stopped after two weeks. It may stop much earlier. However, if you bleed enough to soak through two pads in two hours, contact a doctor immediately. This is a sign that you could potentially bleed to death.
Other Activities to Avoid
For the next two weeks, your body needs time to recover. Some activities should never be done for at least two weeks after an abortion. You should not bathe in a tub, use tampons, douche, have vaginal sex, go swimming, lift anything heavier than fifteen pounds and limit use of stairs.
In Conclusion
If there are any questions about abortion recovery or Preventative Care that has not been cover here, contact the Metropolitan Family Planning Clinic for more information.
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